Istanbul - (AFP) - The Coordination Center for Ukrainian Grain Exports across the Black Sea was officially inaugurated in Istanbul, according to the agreements signed on July 22.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a short ceremony that the center, which is located in a military academy, will be run by "five representatives of Russia , Ukraine and the United Nations, in addition to Turkey, with an equal number of military and civilians."

Under the agreements concluded for a period of four months between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations, this center will be in charge of conducting inspections of ships at sea, and upon their arrival in Istanbul, to verify that they are only transporting grain.

Global markets suffer from a severe shortage of agricultural crops, especially Ukrainian wheat, which have been stuck in ports due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine since February 24.
Akar said the convoys would sail from the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. "Preparation and planning for the first ships to sail is under way," he added.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Navy announced that these three Ukrainian ports had "resumed work".

And after he indicated that "there will be no military presence" around these convoys, he enumerated the most important tasks that the central coordination center would have to perform.

The center will have to register and track merchant ships that will participate in the convoys, monitor them via the Internet and satellites, and inspect ships "by joint inspection teams in the appropriate places" during loading in Ukrainian ports and upon arrival at Turkish ports.

If necessary, mine clearance will be decided and organized "by the parties". The Turkish minister said that this matter "is not necessary at this stage." "Those who work here realize that the eyes of the whole world are upon them," he added, expressing his hope that "the center will best contribute to meeting humanitarian needs and collective peace."
For his part, former US Admiral Fred Kenney, who represents the United Nations, noted that the "first function" of the new center is "to ensure the safe navigation of cargo ships." "Everything will be done in this direction," he said.
He added that "the agreement includes grains, food products and fertilizers," without being able to confirm whether it also applies to foodstuffs exported from Russia.
Russia demanded to be able to export its agricultural products without being subjected to Western sanctions.
"We are fulfilling our obligations and counting on the effective implementation of the Istanbul agreements," Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechaev said Wednesday.
However, he noted that "the issue of the export of Ukrainian grain and those related to Russian exports" should have been settled "by linking them together."
After a Russian strike on Odessa on Saturday morning, the day after the signing of the export agreement, Turkey said it was "concerned".
"The attack in Odessa worried everyone," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday morning.
Cavusoglu added, "It is not the type of attack that prevents the port from working, but it should not be repeated."
"We hope that the implementation of the agreement will be possible without problems," he added.

Moscow - (AFP) - A Russian diplomat confirmed Saturday that Moscow and Washington are discussing a possible exchange of detainees, including a Russian arms dealer held in the United States and an American basketball player held in Russia.

The United States has announced several times that it has made a "serious proposal" to Russia to release American women's basketball star Brittney Grainer and former American soldier Paul Whelan.

And US media reported that the matter is related to the exchange of Brittney Grainer and Paul Whelan for Victor Bot, dubbed "Death Dealer".

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and is serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States. His unusual biography inspired the 2005 gun-running film "Lord of War," starring Nicolas Cage.

"Discussions on the highly sensitive issue of (prisoner exchange) are taking place through channels chosen by our superiors," said Alexander Darchev, director of the North America department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He added in an interview published by the Russian news agency (Tass) on Saturday that the names reported by the American media "are already being considered. Russia has been seeking the release of Viktor Bout for a long time."

He made it clear that "'quiet diplomacy' continues and must bear fruit if Washington (...) is keen, of course, to avoid being drawn into propaganda."

This is the first time that Moscow has confirmed that discussions are underway for a possible exchange involving a bot.

The Kremlin has long criticized Washington for making public statements about the ongoing negotiations.

These negotiations accelerated after Grainer was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August for drug trafficking.

The Phoenix Mercury player, who is considered one of the best basketball players in the world, was arrested in February in Moscow before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in possession of electronic cigarette packages containing liquid from Indian cannabis, and she fell victim to the geopolitical crisis that arose between the United States and Russia.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - A Palestinian young man was killed, Monday evening, as a result of being shot by unknown assailants in the town of Jisr al-Zarqa in the occupied interior .

Local sources said that Jalal Ammash (17 years old) was killed while he was in a shop in the town.

The death toll of murder victims in Arab towns in the occupied interior has risen since the beginning of this year 2022 until today, to 82 dead, including 11 women, noting that the death toll last year amounted to 111 victims, including 16 women.

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- The Chinese economy managed to maintain positive growth despite facing difficulties in the second quarter, growing by 2.5 percent year on year in the first half of this year, showing its resilience and latent potential amid headwinds.

The main economic indicators in China witnessed a sharp decline last April due to the increasingly complex and dangerous situation abroad and the resurgence of Omicron cases inside the country, which constituted a rare scene for the second largest economy in the world.

However, the downward trend was curbed after a number of measures were taken to support growth and control the latest wave of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Data released last Friday showed that the Chinese economy is increasingly firmly on the ground.

Value-added industrial output reversed its decline in May and accelerated its growth in June.

The manufacturing PMI is back in expansion range, indicating the growing confidence of manufacturers.

Consumption improved as retail sales of consumer goods rose 3.1 percent year-on-year in June, after falling year-on-year in April and May.

The recovery is expected to continue as China embarks on a path of expanding consumption, modernization and innovation.

Foreign trade has weathered an unfavorable international trade environment, overcome the impact of the epidemic on industry and supply chains, and has registered relatively rapid growth since the beginning of the year. Foreign trade of goods, in particular, jumped 9.4 percent year on year in the January-June period.

More importantly, industrial modernization is gaining momentum, fueling new growth engines for the economy.

In the first six months, the value-added output of large high-tech manufacturing firms grew 9.6 percent year on year, while investment in the high-tech industry rose 20.2 percent.

On the other hand, consumer prices rose moderately. The job market also improved, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate coming in at 5.5 percent in June, down from 5.9 percent in May.

The headwinds are evident for China, where risks of stagflation are rising for the global economy, the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, and demand contraction coupled with supply shocks at home.

But the plain fact is that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy have not changed, including its huge potential, strong resilience, and wide room for maneuver.

China will seize the sound momentum, remain confident, and forge ahead for a steady recovery of the economy.

Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said today, Sunday, that the current escalation in the northern West Bank is the result of the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and its security services.

In an interview with the Hebrew website Walla Lapid, Lapid confirmed the continuation of security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, which he said enables normal life for settlers and Palestinians, and that his government has an interest in continuing to do so.

He pointed out that the escalation in the West Bank is not supported by any Palestinian factions, despite the great efforts made by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but in general there is no organizational work, rather they are frustrated young men, and we are dealing with them on the field level.

He said: We focus our efforts on keeping the escalation limited and confining it to those areas and seeking to reduce it, and for the holiday and the election period to pass quietly, noting that all the various Israeli agencies are working at one table and in an unprecedented way of cooperation to thwart any attacks.

Regarding a political settlement with the Palestinians, Lapid said that the Palestinian side is responsible for the current situation after it evaded 3 times from proposals for a political settlement on more than 90% of the land, the last of which was in 2014, and Israel went as far as possible, but Abu Mazen did not respond. So far on those proposals.

He added: This is not our fault, it is the fault of the endless rejection of Abu Mazen and the Palestinians, and all we must do now is pass these months in peace and try to calm the situation.

Lapid tried to refrain from answering the possibility of carrying out a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank, pointing out that a certain policy is being pursued in coordination between the political and military echelons.

TIRANA - (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said here Thursday that the European Union will provide 80 million euros (79.7 million US dollars) in grants to Albania to tackle the energy crisis .

According to the Chairperson of the Commission, this energy support package will be part of the €500 million support package that the European Union will provide to the Western Balkan countries to help overcome the energy crisis and also as investments in energy communications, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

During a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the Commission Chair emphasized that the immediate payment of the package will support Albanian families and small businesses at this difficult time and will also help the country to address the impact of high energy prices.

Albania is von der Leyen's second stop on her Western Balkans tour, following her visit to North Macedonia on Wednesday. She is also scheduled to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro.

Tokyo, 7-25-2022 (AFP) - 42 people have been injured by stray macaques in the western Japanese city of Yamaguchi since the beginning of July, in attacks of an unusual scale that have forced local authorities to use hypodermic stun guns to calm them down.

Macaques are common in the Japanese archipelago, where they are sometimes seen as a nuisance, breaking into homes or plundering crops.

Although it is unusual for these little monkeys to directly attack humans, both children and adults have been scratched or bitten by these animals in recent weeks.

"The whole of Yamaguchi is surrounded by mountains, so it is not rare to encounter monkeys there," an employee of the Japanese city's municipality told AFP on Monday.

However, he noted that "recording so many attacks in such a short period is not uncommon," adding, "In the beginning, the attacks targeted only children and women. But recently, elderly men and adults have also been targeted."

Local authorities have been patrolling since the first attacks on July 8, but have so far failed to catch any macaques. It remains unknown whether the attacks are related to an aggressive isolated group of monkeys, or whether they reflect behavior that has become widespread among these primates.

These incidents made headlines in the Japanese media, which reported many testimonies of residents of Yamaguchi who fell victim to them. "I heard crying on the ground floor, so I rushed to the place, and there I saw a monkey attacking my child," said the head of a family recently to the local newspaper, "Mainichi."

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - A memorandum of understanding was signed in Ramallah, today, Wednesday, within the framework of promoting domestic tourism and supporting hotels and tourist facilities, which were greatly affected as a result of the Corona pandemic.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed today, at the Arab Hotels Association in Ramallah, with the Small and Medium Enterprises Assistance for Recovery and Recovery Project (SMART), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Development Alternatives Company (DAI), a qualitative agreement to launch a promotional campaign for the Palestinian tourism sector, which is the first of its kind and under the slogan "Give us a mile."

The campaign, which will last for three months, aims to promote the various tourist areas in Palestinian cities and villages and encourage domestic tourism trips to these areas, in addition to supporting hotels that have been severely damaged in the past years as a result of the impact of the Corona pandemic.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Saeed Abu Hijleh, SMART Project Manager, and Mr. Elias Al-Arja, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arabian Hotels Association.

The promotional campaign is scheduled to be launched through several media and marketing platforms, and it includes the production of a special song, in addition to the production of a video for many tourist areas throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem for several attractive tourist areas.

It will also cooperate with many media professionals and influencers on social media to shed more light on these tourist areas and encourage visitors to come to these areas and explore them themselves.

Mr. Saeed Abu Hijleh, SMART Project Manager, confirmed that the project aims to support the Palestinian private sector, especially the tourism sector, which was greatly affected as a result of the Corona pandemic, and that the campaign is part of the program to support the recovery of the tourism sector, which was launched in November from In 2021, a study was conducted to determine market requirements and target groups to stimulate domestic tourism by encouraging local tourists to visit and reside in the areas of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In addition to continuing to support hotels and the craft sector to recover and help them return to work as it was before the Corona pandemic.

Abu Hijleh added that during the last period, work has been done within the hotel recovery support program to provide financing grants on the basis of cost-sharing for approximately 30 hotels in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, which focused on supporting the capital expenditures necessary to restore hotels to work.

Abu Hijleh indicated that the assistance included improvements and renovations to hotel facilities, repair and replacement of vital equipment and systems, with the aim of restarting these hotels and preparing them to receive guests according to the best services.

In turn, Mr. Elias Al-Arja, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Hotels Association, thanked the SMART project for the joint cooperation and financing of the campaign, noting that hotels were greatly affected during the Corona pandemic, and that many hotels closed their doors as a result of high operational costs and the lack of domestic tourism during the pandemic period, which led to To great damage to the facilities of these hotels.

Al-Arja added that the launch of the campaign and the grants provided through the project will reflect positively on the Palestinian tourism sector, which employs approximately 40,000 people, and is a basic source of income for hundreds of Palestinian families working in this important and vital sector.

The Arab Hotels Association, the partner in the campaign, has 82 members, and the member hotels include more than six thousand hotel rooms ready to receive tourist trips.

The SMART Project is a four-year, $40 million project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The project works to help Palestinian companies to overcome the losses resulting from the Corona pandemic and put them on the path of sustainable economic growth. As a result of the Corona pandemic, 93% of Palestinian companies were negatively affected, as their production operations and services provided decreased, and their sales recorded a decrease of nearly 50%.

In its first year, the SMART project aims to provide support to more than 100 Palestinian companies (small and medium enterprises and start-ups) to recover from the economic impacts of the Corona pandemic, through small grants, training in new technologies, and market access support.

The support provided by the project will contribute to increasing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized companies and startups, and providing the necessary tools to increase their market share and increase job opportunities.

The project will also widely contribute to economic growth and self-reliance in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The project gives priority to companies that comply with environmental protection standards and controls, as well as companies supported by youth, women, and marginalized groups in society, and encourages these groups and companies that enjoy growth opportunities to apply for grants through the project's website www.smartproject.ps.

Tokyo - (AFP) - Shinzo Abe , who was shot dead last Friday in the Nara region of western Japan , assumed the post of prime minister for the longest period in the country's history, during which he left his mark on political and economic life and dealt with many scandals.

Nearly two years after he had to relinquish power for health reasons, Abe, 67, was shot dead during an election rally on Friday. The memorial service was held on Tuesday at a large Buddhist temple in Tokyo, the day after the last look at it.

Abe was 52 years old when he became prime minister for the first time in 2006, making him the youngest prime minister in the country's history. He was seen as a symbol of change and youth, but he also represented the third generation of politicians belonging to an elite conservative family.

At its beginning, his reign was turbulent and witnessed scandals and disagreements, and it ended with his sudden resignation.

After first saying he was stepping down for political reasons, he admitted he was suffering from a disease that was later diagnosed as ulcerative colitis.

Abby was in therapy for months. Upon his return to power in 2012, he said he had overcome the disease with the help of a new drug.

His second term, in which he became the longest-serving prime minister in Japan's history, was dominated at home by his economic strategy, which he called "Abenomics", combining increased budgets, monetary flexibility and structural reforms.

He also sought to increase the birth rate by making workplaces more considerate of fathers and, in particular, of mothers.

He also introduced a controversial consumption tax in 2019 that aims to help fund nursery places for children three and under, as well as to contribute to an overstretched social security system. However, Japan's economy began to decline even before the Corona virus crisis, which wiped out the remaining gains.

His handling of the crisis was seen as slow and confusing, which led to a decline in his support to the lowest levels during his rule.

He was scheduled to remain in the position until September 2020, which would allow him to attend an important event in his historic mandate, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed in 2021, but it seems that his health problems managed him again, and in 2020 he announced his resignation due to illness.

On the international stage, he took a firm stance on North Korea, but sought to be a peacemaker between the United States and Iran.

And he made it a priority to build a close personal relationship with Donald Trump, in an effort to preserve Japan's most important alliances, despite the slogan "America First" that the former US president used to raise, and he tried to repair relations with Russia and China.

But here, too, the matter is not without inconsistency. Trump remained determined to force Japan to pay a larger amount for the American forces deployed on its soil.

Tokyo failed to make progress in resolving the issue of the northern islands disputed with Russia, while a plan to invite Chinese President Xi Jinping for an official visit failed, amid rising domestic resentment towards Beijing.

During his tenure, he dealt with political scandals, including accusations of nepotism, which led to a decline in his approval rating, but it was unable to harm his authority, due, among other things, to the weakness of the political opposition in Japan.

Abe did not repeat a controversial visit in 2013 to a memorial to war victims that sparked widespread resentment in the region and criticism of the United States, and he adhered to a hard line towards South Korea over ongoing disputes from the war period, and continued to push plans to amend Japan's pacifist constitution.

Geneva, 7-8-2022 (AFP) - The chief economist in the Swiss government expected that the country would not witness a recession this year, despite the risks of a shortage in energy supplies.

The Swiss government's chief economist, Eric Schaidiger, said in a statement to the "Sonntagzeitung" newspaper that the Swiss economy is "in good shape" despite the repercussions of the ongoing war in Ukraine on energy prices.

He said companies should prepare for the possibility of energy shortages in the winter months.

"We may have to revise down our economic forecasts for next year. The revised forecast will be published on September 20. But we don't expect a recession this year," he added.

He added, "We face the risk of severe shortages in energy supplies in the winter. If production disruptions continue in the European Union and we suffer from a shortage of gas, then it becomes problematic."

And he expected the country to record in the "negative scenario" in the year 2023 "zero growth instead of a growth of about 2 percent."

Despite the risks of energy shortages and the repercussions of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Scheidegger ruled out that Switzerland would face a serious economic crisis.

"Currently, the economy is in good shape. Current indicators show that the economy in this country recorded good growth in the second quarter, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine," he said.

"Economic support measures such as public aid and tax breaks are currently unnecessary and unhelpful," he noted.

He stressed that Switzerland's economy is less vulnerable to the repercussions of high energy prices compared to other European countries, because gas constitutes only five percent of the total energy consumed in the country.

With regard to inflation, Schideiger considered Switzerland an "island of bliss" compared to the United States, expecting the inflation rate to decline before the end of the year.

Paris - (AFP) - Paris Fashion Week organizers announced Wednesday that Victoria Beckham will join the official list of designers participating in this event, through a live show on the catwalk next fall.

The British designer and former Spice Girls star has, in the past, presented her fashion shows in London and New York, but has not held any in-person fashion shows since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beckham will present her new luxury collection during the Spring 2023 women's ready-to-wear shows, which will take place from September 26 to October 4.

Paris Fashion Week recently attracted a number of British talents, including the rising men's designer Craig Green, who returned to the catwalk in June, also for the first time since the outbreak of the epidemic began.
Beckham held a live show for her luxury brand in London in February 2020, then presented online shows in September 2020 and February 2021.
But she was notably absent from London Fashion Week last February, having previously stated that high costs make it difficult to present live shows.
Beckham joined the London Fashion Week program in 2018 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the launch of her brand, after years of walking shows in New York.

New York - (AFP) - Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has denied sexual assault charges brought against him by American actor Anthony Rapp, whose civil trial has begun in New York.

"I don't remember that I was with him at a private party or that I was with him in an apartment," Spacey said in response to his lawyer's questions, as confirmed by the plaintiff.

Spacey, who won two Oscars, was absent from the screen and from the stage, after he was one of the first artists to be tabled by the global “Me Too” wave since its inception in 2017 in the United States.

Actor Anthony Rapp, 51, who participates in the series “Star Trek: Discovery”, filed a lawsuit against Spacey in September 2020 accusing him of sexually assaulting him during a party in New York in 1986 when he was still fourteen years old.

Rap explained in his lawsuit that Spicey invited him to dinner with friends in his small apartment in Manhattan, and after the other guests left, he carried him in his arms while he was watching TV, and put him on a bed "before lying next to him and then on top of him."

During cross-examination on Monday, Spacey described his father, in public for the first time, as a "white supremacist" and a "neo-Nazi" who had no homosexuality or interest in theatre.

Spacey said he was "shocked, scared and confused" after the 2017 accusations, which were contained in an article by Anthony Rapp in "Buzzfeed News", and that he issued a public apology that day at the recommendation of his agents, which he regrets today.

"I learned the lesson, which is that one should never apologize for something one did not do," he said.

He added that he decided on that day to declare his homosexuality, after he had been thinking about the matter for more than a year, after he established himself professionally in the world of acting.
"I was accused of trying to change the subject, trying to distract, or confusing it with being gay, which was never my intention," he said tearfully, adding that he would never have done "anything to harm the gay community."
Spacey faces other lawsuits in both the United States and Britain. In London, he is on trial for sexually assaulting three men between March 2005 and April 2013 when he was artistic director of a theatre. The star pleaded not guilty to these charges last July.

غزة-وضعت قرعة بطولة كأس العرب الثامنة للشباب تحت 20 عاماً، منتخبنا الوطنيّ في المجموعة السادسة إلى جانب منتخبي المغرب والسودان والتي جرت في مدينة الدمام بالمملكة العربية السعوديّة بتنظيم الاتحاد العربي لكرة القدم، حيث ستنطلق في 20 من تموز المقبل، وتستمر حتّى 6 من آب المقبل بمدينة أبها بالسعودية.

وتضمُّ المجموعة الأولى: السعودية، موريتانيا، العراق، والثانية: الإمارات، الأردن، اليمن، والثالثة: الجزائر، لبنان، ليبيا، والرابعة: مصر، عُمان، الصومال، والخامسة: تونس، البحرين، جيبوتي.

ويفتتح منتخبنا مبارياته في 25 من تموز المقبل بمواجهة السودان في مدينة الأمير سلطان، ويلاقي المغرب في 28 من نفس الشهر في نادي ضمك.

وينطلق دور ربع النهائي في 31 تموز، على أن يفتتح دور نصف النهائي في 3 من آب، وتقام المباراة النهائيّة في 6 من آب المقبل.

يذكر أنّه تمّ تصنيف المنتخبات إلى ثلاثة مستويات، ضمّ الأوّل السعودية والمغرب ومصر وتونس والجزائر والإمارات، وحلّ منتخبنا بالمستوى الثاني مع منتخبات العراق وعمان والبحرين والأردن ولبنان، تاركين الثالث لمنتخبات موريتانيا وليبيا والسودان واليمن وجيبوتي والصومال.

الجدير بالذكر أنّ النسخة الماضية أقمت في القاهرة، وتُوِجَ باللقب السعوديّ بفوزه على منتخب الجزائريّ.

Istanbul - "Al Quds" dot com - A delegation of Muslim scholars advised the " Hamas " movement to review its decision to restore relations with the Syrian regime because of the "great harms" it entails.

This came in a statement - as reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency - issued by 8 scholars who had previously met with the leadership of the political bureau of Hamas "to hear from them directly about their decision to restore relations with the Syrian regime and carry out the duty of advice," while Hamas did not comment on the matter. statement immediately.

The statement indicated that the decision has "great corruptions, and it does not agree with the principles, values, and legal controls, and this, in the view of those present, requires that the movement review and re-study it in the light of what scholars have mentioned."

He added, "The head of the political bureau of Hamas (Ismail Haniyeh) promised to present the scholars' statements to the movement's office at its nearest meeting."

And he continued, "The scholars are awaiting the response of the movement's leadership to carry out the appropriate legal duty for the situation, and for the interest of the Palestinian cause, which is the cause of all Muslims."

The delegation of scholars revealed that it met with leaders of the "Hamas" movement in order to "speak the truth and advise people, and we are certain of the importance of the Palestinian cause and an effort to contribute to the fulfillment of its right and the right of its struggling people, and out of concern for the movement with a bright history."

The statement was signed by Sheikh Abd al-Majid al-Zindani, head of the Association of Yemeni Scholars, Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, head of the Syrian Islamic Council, Sheikh Ali al-Qara Daghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, and Sheikh Issam Ahmed al-Bashir, Vice President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

The statement was also signed by Sheikh Abdul Hai Youssef, a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Federation of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Karim, Secretary-General of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Sami Al-Saadi, Secretary-General of the Research Council of the Libyan Dar Al-Ifta, and Sheikh Wasfi Ashour Abu Zaid, member of the Board of Trustees of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

Hamas had taken a decision to restore relations with the official regime in Syria , which sparked a lot of controversy.

Relations between Hamas and the Bashar al-Assad regime were severed in 2012, following the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.

Los Angeles - (AFP) - A second man of the three accused of attacking an employee of Lady Gaga to kidnap the star's dogs was sentenced to six years in prison in Los Angeles, after the first defendant was sentenced to four years in prison about a week ago.

Lafayette Sean Wiley, 28, admitted his participation in the robbery, noting that he was part of the group that shot Ryan Fisher while he was in Hollywood walking Lady Gaga's three French bulldogs in February 2021.

Surveillance cameras showed two men getting out of a car near the employee before he was shot and wounded in the chest. The two men then snatched two of the three dogs, Koji and Gustav, and fled, leaving Ryan Fisher bleeding on the floor.

As for the third dog, named "Miss Age", he escaped before returning later to Fisher.

The owner of the songs "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance" offered a reward of half a million dollars to whoever could return her two dogs to her.
A woman returned the two dogs to the singer, claiming she had found them tied to a pole, before she was arrested by the police, who said the woman had an affair with the father of one of the suspects.

In April 2021, charges of attempted murder and robbery against the three men were dropped.

The ruling comes a week after Jaylen Kishon White, 20, Lafayette's accomplice in the kidnapping, was sentenced to four years in prison, in addition to the arrest of James Howard Jackson, 19, after he was released on April 6 as a result of a mistake. Administrative.

This case showed the importance of French bulldogs to the stars on the one hand, and the criminals who take advantage of the small size of this type and its high price to sell it on the black market on the other hand.

Lady Gaga is very attached to her dogs, who often accompany her during events, and the singer publishes pictures of her on social media.

Translation by " Jerusalem " dot com - Australia has officially revoked its recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of "Israel", thus reversing the decision taken by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2018.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government believed the issue should be resolved as part of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and that her country would not support an approach opposing that possibility.

She added: The Australian embassy has always been in Tel Aviv and will remain there. We are committed to the two-state solution, a future Palestinian state, and Israel side by side, in peace and security and within borders recognized by the international community.

And she continued: We renew our commitment to contributing to international efforts and working towards the two-state solution, which is a just and lasting solution.

And she continued: “Australia will always remain a loyal friend to Israel .. We were one of the first countries to officially recognize it and our government will never back down from its support for Israel and the Jewish community in the country. Likewise, we have steadfastly supported the Palestinian people, providing them with humanitarian support every year since 1951, Therefore, we call for the resumption of peace negotiations."

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that it would summon the Australian ambassador in the coming hours and provide an official response to this step.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the decision was taken in a hasty manner in response to some incorrect news in the media, and we can only hope that the Australian government will be more serious about other matters.

He added, "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of a united Israel, and nothing will ever change it," as he put it.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - During the month of September 2022, the Israeli occupation authorities arrested (445) Palestinians from the occupied territory, including (35) children and (19) women.

Arrest cases in Jerusalem constituted the highest percentage, as in every month, as the total number of arrests during the aforementioned month reached (181) cases, including (31) children and minors, and (16) women, followed by Jenin with (59) cases, and Hebron with (59) cases. (55) cases of arrest, while the number of administrative detention orders issued during the aforementioned month reached (245), including (102) new orders and (143) renewal orders.

Last September witnessed a high intensity of violations and crimes carried out by the occupation, including field executions, the policy of collective punishment, and the implementation of more organized arrests, which were accompanied by grave violations against detainees and their families, in addition to the recording of various injuries, including severe ones, among the detainees. shot by the occupying army.

Prisoners and human rights institutions refer; (The Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Addameer Association for Prisoner Care and Human Rights, and the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem), that the number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the occupation prisons reached about (4,700) prisoners, until the end of September 2022, Among them are (30) female prisoners, about (190) minors, and (800) administrative detainees, including two female prisoners, and about 6 children.

Beirut - (AFP) - Qatar joined on Sunday, during an official ceremony in Beirut, as a partner to the French companies Total Energy and the Italian Eni in the framework of a consortium to explore for oil and gas in the Lebanese maritime border waters with Israel.

After two years of US mediation, Lebanon and Israel reached an agreement in October to demarcate the maritime borders between them, which they unanimously described as "historic", and would allow the two countries to explore for gas and oil in the disputed area from their territorial waters.

And the Lebanese government presidency stated, in a statement that followed a ceremony held at the Grand Serail in Beirut, about "the signing of the amending annexes to the exploration and production agreements in blocks 4 and 9, on the occasion of the entry of Qatar Energy as a partner with the French company Total Energy and the Italian company Eni."

The move came months after the Russian company Novatek announced its withdrawal from the coalition that was formed in 2018.

Thus, Qatar Energy Company became a partner in the consortium of companies that owns the petroleum rights in Blocks 4 and 9 in the Lebanese offshore waters, and holds 30 percent, compared to 35 percent for the French company and 35 percent for the Italian company.

Block No. 9, where the Qana field is partly located outside the territorial waters, will constitute a major area for exploration to be carried out by the three companies.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said during the signing ceremony, "The consortium of these internationally renowned companies enhances investment confidence in Lebanon, despite the difficult circumstances it is going through, and puts Lebanon in the future on the oil map in the Levantine basin of the Mediterranean."

Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad on the Lebanese side, State Minister for Energy Affairs of Qatar and CEO of Qatar Energy Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi on the Qatari side, Executive Director of Total Group Patrick Pouyanne on behalf of the French company and CEO of Eni Claudio Descalzi on behalf of the Italian company signed the agreement. In the presence of the ambassadors of Qatar, France and Italy.

Fayyad hoped that the signing would constitute "the beginning of a new phase that contributes to consolidating Lebanon's position on the oil map in the region, enhances its role as an investment destination, and opens a window of hope for the next phase."

Since the fall of 2019, Lebanon has witnessed an unprecedented economic collapse, with which the ability of state utilities to secure basic services, especially electricity, has declined. The collapse is exacerbated by political stalemate, which is reflected in constitutional and judicial paralysis.

Energy expert Naji Abi Aad told AFP that "Qatar's accession to the coalition has political implications, especially" in the midst of the protracted economic crisis.

TRIPOLI - (Xinhua) Eleven years ago, the United States and its allies launched a military campaign under the name "Odyssey Dawn" to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi's regime in Libya under the slogan of freedom and democracy, but it pushed the country into continuous security and economic turmoil.

In February 2011, Libyans took to the streets as part of the "Arab Spring" revolutions to overthrow the Gaddafi regime, which had been in power for more than 40 years, and the demonstrations quickly turned into a military confrontation.

In response to the escalation of violence and confrontations that took place in the country between the Libyan revolutionaries and the forces of the regime at the time, the "Odyssey Dawn" campaign came, and with it the lives of the Libyans did not shine, but plunged deeper into darkness.

Western countries led by the United States have made Libya an unstable country riven by armed conflicts, after it was once a country rich in abundant oil and gas resources, while the per capita GDP in 2010 was more than 12 thousand dollars.

Khadija Al-Mansouri, a 46-year-old Libyan housewife from Tripoli, told Xinhua, "When the February 17 revolution took place, we expected Libyans to enter the stage of openness, improved living, and a better life, but what happened is the opposite."

And she continued: "The level of the economy has declined and people have become poorer, all due to illusions marketed by Western countries, led by America, that Libya will be an advanced democratic model with the departure of Gaddafi."

Interference in Libya under the guise of freedom and democracy has led to civil unrest in the country. For the past 11 years, the political situation in Libya has been unstable, armed conflicts are continuing, the security situation is deteriorating, and people are living in hardship.

Political analyst Faraj al-Dali said, "Western intervention in Libya and the United States' leadership of the campaign to overthrow Gaddafi in 2011 was a full-fledged conspiracy, not because Gaddafi's regime was good or ideal, but because it carried out change by force and not with the conviction of a broad spectrum of Libyans who originally supported Gaddafi." Thus, we entered into a spiral of civil war, the end of which cannot be predicted.

Al-Dali added, "The mistake is that America is always trying to export to others its democratic system, and this is what it describes as at least, and it is a flawed, defective system that has big problems. This made it a country of the jungle, not a country of law.”

Mahmoud Darwish, 37, a Libyan citizen working as a translator in Tripoli, said, "Before 2011, the Libyan dinar was equal to 1.28 US dollars, and now the dollar is equal to 5 dinars, and the currency's decline caused the cost of living to rise sharply."

"In the past we had good security, now we have power outages of more than 10 hours a day," he said.

For his part, Fathi al-Madhuni, 40, a teacher, said, "The conditions in Libya have changed dramatically since 2011 until today, and unfortunately the change has been year after year for the worse, and our country has become a prey to division and fragmentation, and the disturbing thing is that foreign interference has become overt and even some Countries are talking as if they are occupying us or that Libya is part of it.”

And he went on to say, "Sovereignty is robbed, and our political and national decision is in the hands of certain countries, and we do not have any ingredients or roles to bring about real change."

Al-Madhoni has five children, and before 2011 his monthly salary, he says, was sufficient to support his family, but now it is less than half a month, and in addition to teaching, he has to find time to drive a taxi to support the family.

In turn, Iman Jalal, a political science professor at the University of Tripoli, said, "America must be aware that every country has a specificity in adopting the political system that suits it, and here it can be said that trying to detail any political system or idea and exporting it to others is a failed idea par excellence."

She added, "All previous experiences, starting from Afghanistan to Iraq, passing through Syria and ending with Libya, proved that foreign intervention, which America often rushes to, was the cause of poverty and the decline of these countries at all levels."

"Methods of cooperation, coordination and international assistance should be adopted without dictates or military solutions, because it will only add to the expansion of terrorism, crime and economic failure," she stressed.

Jerusalem - "Jerusalem" dot com - Dozens of settlers stormed today, Tuesday, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque , under the strict protection of the occupation police.

The settlers made provocative tours inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and performed Talmudic rituals.

Settler groups storm Al-Aqsa on a daily basis, except for Friday and Saturday.

Ramallah - "Al Quds" dot com - The two detainees , Raed Rayan and Khalil Awadeh , continue their open hunger strike in rejection of their administrative detention, and the occupation refuses to this day to respond to their demand to end their administrative detention.

The Captive Club confirmed in a statement that they are facing serious health conditions, which are exacerbating with the passage of time, in addition to a number of systematic abusive policies aimed at undermining and putting pressure on them, as they remain to this day in "Ramla" prison.

Detainee Raed Rayan (28 years old) from the town of Beit Duqu / Jerusalem, has been on hunger strike for 103 days, and has been in administrative detention since 3/11/2021, when an administrative detention order was issued against him for a period of six months, and the order was renewed for the second time for a period of 6 months. Note that he is a former detainee who spent nearly 21 months under administrative detention.

While the detainee Khalil Awawda (40 years old) from the town of Ithna / Hebron resumed his hunger strike on 7/2/2022, after he suspended it earlier after 111 days of the strike, based on promises to release him, but the occupation reneged on his promise, and issued a A new administrative detention order is issued against him for a period of four months, noting that he has been detained since 27/12/2021, when the occupation issued an administrative detention order against him for a period of six months, and his detention order was renewed for the second time for a period of four months, and he is married and the father of four children, and a former prisoner who spent years in occupation prisons.

Jenin - "Jerusalem" dot com-Ali Samoudi- The young Khaled Jamal Muhammad Abu Al-Rub (26 years old), from the town of Jalboun , east of Jenin, is living in a state of fear and tension, after he received a notification from the occupation forces to demolish his house, which he was preparing for his marriage, after he was about to Finishing it off and preparing it for housing.

"My dream is threatened with loss, and I will lose my tiredness and the hardship of my life if the occupation demolishes my house." Khaled said, who dispelled the occupation's joy and turned his life into sadness and pain, adding, "Years ago, my life consisted of work and perseverance. I spent my life working hard and hard to collect construction costs."

He continued, "After I completed the finishing process of the house, and started preparing for my wedding, I was surprised by the arbitrary and unjust demolition decision. I saw the occupation soldiers and the Civil Administration sticking demolition notices on my house, and giving me 96 hours to implement the decision."

Building without a permit
Abu Al-Rub's house is located east of the village of Jalboun, and since receiving the notification, he has submitted several complaints, demanding that the decision be annulled.

He says, "This is a crime, and the decision is a great setback. Everything that I have collected in my life and for my future is threatened with loss, and I do not know what I will do to protect my house and not demolish it. I filed a complaint with the Settlement Wall Resistance Commission, to file a case against the occupation to retract this notification and not demolish my house," adding, " The occupation claims that the demolition is under the pretext of building without a permit because my house is located in Area C, but the occupation is deliberately obstructing us and denying permits, to stifle us and prevent us from our legitimate right to construction, stability and a safe life. to deport our people and uproot us,” calling for the need to move to stop these policies immediately.”

On 21-6-2022, the occupation forces stormed the border and wall village of Jalboun, east of the city of Jenin, and distributed demolition and stop-building notices against 9 citizens in the village, which suffers greatly due to the apartheid wall that besieges and surrounds it from the three northern, eastern and southern sides.

targeting the village

According to the head of the charitable association in Jalboun, Ali Abu al-Rub, the occupation has targeted his village since the Nakba until today, because of its strategic location on the armistice lines, and the extension of its lands in the areas and lands that were occupied by the occupation in the Nakba in 1948.

Abu Al-Rub stated that the area of Jalboun’s land was more than 36,000 dunums, extending in the areas of Bisan in the interior and Tubas in the Jordan Valley, and it was subjected to continuous targeting, and the occupation confiscated about 30,000 dunums from it, and all of it was planted with olive trees, and the village’s elders still remember They retrieve the pomegranates, figs, cacti, olives, and almonds that were carried by those trees, explaining that all the confiscated lands were owned by their owners with title deeds, identification papers, and official bills, and despite that, they were targeted and stolen by the occupation.

He was not satisfied with that. After the setback of June 1967, he confiscated more lands on which the settlements besieging Jalbun were established, namely; Merav, Ma'ale Gilboa, and King Joshua.

Abu Al-Rub explained that these settlements built on the lands of Jalboun village have great impacts and many harassments on citizens who are subjected to attacks and abuse, in addition to diverting waste water in the village lands, which causes damage to crops and the spread of diseases and insects in a large way, which affects the environment in general.

The occupation imposed restrictions on the lives and movements of citizens and farmers, especially after the construction of the apartheid wall within the borders of Jalboun, which led, as Abu al-Rub explains, to the isolation of large areas of land behind the wall, and its owners became denied access to it. Wastewater in the lands, and even deliberate delay in issuing permits to farmers even in the olive season, so that it becomes neglected and easy to confiscate and steal.

New attack

The occupation imposed strict control, through the settlements, on the lives of the villagers, which are subject to continuous campaigns, including raids, sieges, and restrictions on agriculture and construction, the latest of which was the attack and the new campaign two months ago. The occupation, which tried to prevent expansion and population expansion, and deliberately refuses to issue licenses, while the Israeli settlements, areas, and factories established in them are expanding. demolish it immediately.

The citizen Muhammad Mahmoud Asaad Abu Al-Rub (60 years old) is an example of what citizens were subjected to in terms of targeting and unfair decisions. The old man, who supports a family of 9 people, and retired after many years of service as a teacher in education, started building a house for his family a year and a half ago. He says, "I started building a single floor of 240 meters, so that my family and I could live a stable life under one roof, but the occupation suppressed our joy while we were still under construction, and issued a decision to stop work and construction, which included several citizens, whose homes are still under construction, and we are still following up on the complaint." The Palestinian Liaison to Prevent Demolition and Displacing Us.” And he continues, “There are houses whose owners received demolition notices, even though they were built and inhabited for 30 years. .

Citizen Muhammad considered this measure a continuation of the occupation’s imposition of the gradual confiscation of the border area, and to restrict people and prevent the people from expanding as a message of warning and threatening to the rest of the people to prevent them from building and building new homes and settling their lives, adding, “Our papers are ready, and we are ready for licensing, but the occupation is the obstacle because it wants Strangling us, preventing us from practicing our normal lives.”

The head of the Charity Association, Abu Al-Rub, confirms that these measures are continuously being taken by the occupation, and are not new to the village of Jalboun, whose people refuse to submit to its arbitrary decisions, and are still steadfast and clinging to their land and its protection, while the owners of the threatened homes appealed to humanitarian and international institutions to move and put pressure on the occupation. , to cancel arbitrary decisions, and allow them to complete construction and live normally, as guaranteed by international norms and laws.

Gaza - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Egyptian authorities decided to close the Rafah land crossing with the Gaza Strip, on Thursday.

According to the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza, the crossing will be closed in both directions, due to the presence of an official holiday on the Egyptian side.

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- China's National Observatory on Friday issued a red alert for high temperature, the highest level in the four-level alert system, as the sweltering heat wave continued in more areas of the country.

During the daytime hours tomorrow, parts of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are expected to experience temperatures ranging from 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The center added that temperatures in parts of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang may exceed 40 or even 42 degrees Celsius.

The center advised the local authorities to take emergency measures to confront the severe heat wave, by suspending work in open spaces under high temperatures, paying close attention to fire prevention measures, and paying special attention to vulnerable groups.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Housing Bank supported the Needy Student Fund at Hebron University, as part of a series of donations made by the Bank to Palestinian universities, in order to enable students to complete their educational journey and overcome the financial conditions that prevent this.

The official of the Grants and Aid Unit at Hebron University, Hakam Al-Jabari, received the Director of the Housing Bank branch in Hebron, Nael Sajdia, and thanked the Housing Bank for this assistance.

During the visit, ways of joint cooperation were discussed between the two parties, and he wished further development and success for the Housing Bank to carry out its societal and national role on an ongoing basis, stressing that this is not new for the bank, which was known for its giving and harmony with society and its distinguished role in assisting humanitarian and development cases.

The Regional Director of the Housing Bank, Osama Herzallah, said that this donation reflects the bank's keenness on its commitment to social responsibility, emphasizing the complementarity of roles between national institutions to serve the educational process. He also pointed out the importance of creating a sound educational environment suitable for teaching and learning.

It is worth noting that the university established this fund to collect donations and allocate them to support needy university students who suffer from difficult economic conditions that impede the completion of their educational career.

Astana - "Jerusalem" dot com - President Mahmoud Abbas arrived, this evening, Wednesday, the Republic of Kazakhstan, on an official visit, to participate in the sixth summit of the "Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia" (SICA), to be held in the Republic of Kazakhstan , with the participation of a number of Leaders of member states, heads of government, regional and international organizations.

During his visit, he will meet with a number of leaders of the countries participating in the summit, to discuss regional and international issues of common concern. His Excellency will also inform them of the latest developments on the Palestinian level, and the Israeli occupation's violations against our people.

The President is accompanied by: Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein Al-Sheikh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki, Head of the General Intelligence Service Major General Majid Faraj, Adviser to the President for Diplomatic Affairs Majdi Al-Khalidi, and Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Kazakhstan Montaser Abu Zaid.

The "SICA" organization includes 27 countries as permanent members, and 8 other countries as observer states and 5 international organizations. Vast resources and intellectual potential, along with fast-growing transportation corridors and markets, which together produce more than 50% of global GDP, and provide two-thirds of global economic growth.

Madrid - (AFP) - Spain's King Felipe VI called for "unity" and "responsibility" on Saturday, as the country faces an unprecedented institutional crisis over a clash between the leftist government and the conservative opposition.

In his traditional Christmas speech, Felipe VI considered that "division makes democracies more fragile. Union, on the contrary, strengthens them. In Spain, we know this from our own experience," warning of the weakness of institutions.

"I believe that in these times we should all show responsibility and think constructively about the consequences of ignoring these risks for our union, our coexistence and our institutions," he added.

And the king continued in this televised speech, "nearly 45 years have passed since the adoption of the constitution" that established democracy in Spain in 1978, and "of course many things have changed and will continue to change."

He stressed that "the spirit that was born from him, and his principles and foundations, which are the product of everyone, cannot be weakened and should not fall into oblivion."

This speech comes at a time when heated discussions have recently intensified between the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the Popular Party, the most prominent right-wing party, due to a deep disagreement over judicial reform.

This amendment, which aims to renew four judges of the Constitutional Court, was voted on by deputies last week after the ruling coalition parties added it to the text of a law related to amending the Penal Code.

But it had to be withdrawn from the final text submitted Thursday to senators after a veto by the Constitutional Court to which the People's Party referred the case.

This objection angered the left, which accused the court of "isolating institutions" and preventing parliament from approving "legislation."

This crisis is the culmination of four years of challenge between the government and the opposition over the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary, which is responsible for appointing the majority of the judges of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court.

The two parties exchange accusations of seeking to tighten the grip on the judicial institution by imposing or keeping judges from their political current in it, one year before the legislative elections scheduled for the end of 2023.

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh called today, Tuesday, for the need to intensify international efforts to lift the siege imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities for days on the people of Shuafat camp , in occupied Jerusalem.

In a statement, Shtayyeh called on the United Nations and the International Red Cross to enter the camp, see the extent of the suffering the refugees endure there, and work to allow them to leave the camp and enter it freely.

He called for an end to settler attacks on olive pickers in villages and towns, in which the season of harvesting the blessed tree began, amid attacks by settlers armed with the protection of the occupation soldiers, who confiscate the crop and prevent farmers from reaching their fields.

Shtayyeh also called for the formation of popular committees in the targeted villages and towns, to protect farmers and confront settler attacks.

Jerusalem - "Al-Qudsat.com - Muhammad Abu Khudair - The Association for Civil Rights and the Committee for Parents of Students in Occupied East Jerusalem submitted a petition to the Israeli Administrative Affairs Court, asking it to oblige the municipality to perform its duty, and to work to improve safety arrangements in the vicinity of educational institutions in Eastern neighborhoods of the city before the start of the school year.

It is noteworthy that the Association for Civil Rights conducted an examination between the months of March and July 2022, in the vicinity of dozens of educational institutions, in 12 neighborhoods east of Jerusalem. Traffic to 30 km/h, and there are no traffic lights for pedestrians (children crossing the street), and in the vast majority of these institutions, bumps are not placed to limit the speed of cars, and pedestrian paths are not demarcated, and only in a few schools are areas equipped for ascent and disembarkation Pupils from buses and private cars, or install safety guards separating the school from the street to prevent pupils from rushing into the street at the end of the school day.

In the affidavit attached to the petition, Adel Ghazzawi, head of the parents’ committee in Al-Thawri neighborhood, testifies: “When we pass through the Jewish neighborhood of Abu Tur and reach the Palestinian side of the neighborhood, we move to another world.. The neglect of our infrastructure is appalling, as there is no Sidewalks, no parking spaces, and every process of entry or exit from the neighborhood is accompanied by severe congestion, which prompts drivers to cut off the road and drive recklessly, and this is a very dangerous matter for children and adults.. There are between 6-7 schools and nurseries in the neighborhood, and all of them suffer From neglecting the exit and entry area, and the municipality is obligated to take care of placing traffic signs and arranging public safety affairs before a child is killed here.”

It is noteworthy that the association's appeals to the municipality of Jerusalem, and repeated calls by parents to it, were met with complete disregard by both the municipality and its education department.

Attorney Tal Hussein, from the Association for Civil Rights, said: “The Jerusalem municipality ignores the requests of parents and school principals, and it ignores its duties, being responsible for the roads and infrastructure in the areas that fall under its authority, with its clear disregard for the lives and safety of thousands of Palestinian students, and their right to safety.” Body, dignity and equality.

He added, "Such behavior is associated with deep and long-standing discrimination against neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem, and it is easy to assume that similar requests from parents and administrators in the west of the city would have been met through active reform of safety risks and failures in the periphery of educational institutions."

He continued, "The process of demarcating pedestrian paths, installing safety railings, and installing traffic lights are essential and easy to implement."

Pedri, the Barcelona midfielder, expressed his aspiration to face Real Madrid in a friendly at dawn tomorrow, Sunday, in addition to shedding light on the deals concluded by Barca in preparation for the new season.

Pedri talked about El Clasico, according to what was reported by the Spanish newspaper "Marca", saying: "There is a constant desire to participate in El Clasico. We always play that match with great enthusiasm. It is good that we reach the start of the season with good dynamism, and winning the El Clasico will help us to do that."

He added, "Barca enters every season with the ambition to win everything, and with the new deals, hope becomes greater. Every year we start with the intention of fighting for the Champions League, and the reinforcements will help us in that. We will be ready to fight, and Barca has always been among the favourites."

He added, "The competition within the team is always good for everyone and for the coach, and we hope to have a special year."

He touched on Robert Lewandowski's transfer to Barcelona: "He is a player who guarantees you to score goals. We saw that in Bayern, and it is a matter of pride that he is with us."

And about Frank Casey, he commented: "He surprised me a lot. We have faced him in matches before. He is a very strong player, and I try not to collide with him a lot in training."

And about the possibility of including Inigo Martinez, he continued: “He is an amazing player, I played with him in the national team, I hope that this transfer will happen.”

And he concluded by talking about the injuries he suffered: “It has become a part of the past. I am in good physical condition and I am looking forward to the start. I worked for months to change my physical form. In football now, you must prepare yourself well and continue to work.”